President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday signed into law six bills that have earlier been passed by the National Assembly.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, disclosed this to State House Correspondents after the President signed the bills into law at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Enang, the bills signed into law include the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017 and Anti-Torture Act, 2017.
He explained that the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017 provided for the compulsory treatment and care for victims of gunshots and for related matters.
He said, “Specifically, the Act stipulates that a person with a gunshot wound shall be received for immediate and adequate treatment by any hospital in Nigeria with or without initial monetary deposit.
“Furthermore, a person with a gunshot wound shall not be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment or torture by any person or authority, including the police and other security agencies.
“Anti-Torture Act, 2017 makes comprehensive provisions for penalising the acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, and prescribes penalties for the commission of such acts.”
The presidential aide added that Buhari assented to the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment) Amendment Act, 2017.
He explained that the Act included the gas producing and gas processing companies in the list of agencies that were contributing to the NDDC in addition to the oil companies in a bid to increasing the funding of the commission for effective discharge of its duties.
“Previously, the NDDC Acts excluded the gas companies. The Act makes it explicit that the Gas companies have to be included.
“This is to diversify the sources of funding for the NDDC for the economic wellbeing of the region,” he said. – Punch.
